There are serious fallacious teachings related to the Holy Spirit’s
indwelling of genuine Believers (Acts 1:8; 19:2). This article makes an honest
attempt to clarify the biblical teaching to at least reduce the amount of
ambiguity on this subject. The content in this article will be difficult for
some readers. I ask that you suspend your conclusions until you have examined
all the passages and the central arguments I have presented here. My aim is to
get to the truth because I know the truth will set each of us free!
In previous articles we observed the facts and explored
the functions of the Spirit’s indwelling. We need to now consider the fallacies
related to this subject. This fallacy surrounds when the Spirit takes up
habitation in the believer. Is it something to be sought and prayed for
repeatedly until God give us the Spirit?
Is it dependent upon my life being clean enough and then the Spirit will
see fit to indwell me?
Some of the confusion on this issue stems from
misunderstanding and misinterpreting the Book of Acts. Some have even manipulated the Book of Acts
to substantiate some rather strange teachings about the ministry of the Spirit
of God. So the best thing to do is to
look at some of these very same passages and seek to shed light on this with
other portions of the Bible.
1. Should
a believer seek the indwelling of the Spirit today?
i.
No,
I believe a person receives the Spirit immediately upon receiving Christ as
Savior.
ii.
Eph. 1:13-14; Gal. 3:2; 4:4-7; Rom. 8:9.
This is universally true with all believers today, but it was not so
during the early years of Christianity.
iii.
There
is not even one command to seek the indwelling the Holy Spirit in the NT!
iv.
There
was a period of transition from Judaism to Christianity—from Jewish ideas to
Christian ideas, from Jewish practices to distinctively Christian practices,
from Jews only to Jews and Gentiles together (John
7:38-39; Gal. 3:26-28).
v.
God’s
people were slow to accept the idea of “world” evangelism; therefore, God used
several approaches to confirm His intentions for the gospel and to guide his
apostles and the early churches.
vi.
But,
why does the Book of Acts seem to teach differently?
2. Note
the Emphasis and Command of Acts 1:8.
i.
This
verse is the theme and key verse of the entire Book of Acts.
ii.
The
indwelling Spirit would empower the church to take the gospel to their city,
their country, their region of the world, and also the rest of the world.
a. They
like us must receive power—the power of the Holy Spirit. This power
is the grand indispensable of Christian witness. A man may be highly talented,
intensively trained, and widely experienced, but without spiritual power he is ineffective. On the other
hand, a man may be uneducated, unattractive, and unrefined, yet let him be
endued with the power of the Holy Spirit and the world will
turn out to see him burn for God. The fearful disciples needed power for witnessing, holy boldness
for preaching the gospel. They would receive this power when the Holy Spirit
came upon them.
b. Their
witness was to begin in Jerusalem, a
meaningful prearrangement of the grace of God. The very city where our Lord was
crucified was first to receive the call to repentance and faith in Him.
c. Then
Judea, the southern section of
Palestine with its strong Jewish population, and with Jerusalem as its
chief city.
d. Then
Samaria, the region in the center of Palestine, with its
hated, half-breed population with whom the Jews had no dealings.
e. Then
the uttermost part of the then-known world—the Gentile
countries which had hitherto been outside the pale as far as religious
privilege was concerned. In this ever widening circle of witness, we have a
general outline of the flow of history in Acts.
1. The
witness in Jerusalem
(Chaps. 1–7)
2. The
witness in Judea and Samaria (8:1–9:31)
3.
The witness to the uttermost part of the earth
(9:32–28:31)
iii.
Paul felt obligated, “I am a debtor,” to the entire human race to proclaim
God’s good news (Rom. 1:14-15).
a. It
did not matter if they were educated or uneducated, cultured or uncultured, Jew
or Gentile; they all need Christ. He was
eager (“I am ready,” Rom. 1:15)
to evangelize the world, including Rome,
capital of the empire.
b. Because
the Jews were God’s Chosen earthly People (11:1), possessed God’s Word (3:2),
and the people through whom Christ came (9:5), they had the first privilege or
priority to hear the gospel. Paul characteristically sought out the Jews first
in every new city (Acts 13:5, 14; 14:1; 17:2, 10, 17; 18:4, 19; 19:8).
c. Today
evangelism of the world must include the Jews, and Gentiles because the “Jew
first” priority was satisfied in the Book of Acts (Rom.
1:14-17).
iv.
Though
Christ made this very plain, the believers were slow to accept the idea. But,
Christ promised the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth (John 16:13).
3. Note
the Execution of Acts 1:8 Missionary Endeavor.
i.
Jews
in Jerusalem were saved (Acts 2:1-4, 37-41).
a.
The
church witnessed with great power in Jerusalem and three thousand Jews were
saved initially.
b.
Unfortunately
the earlier Jewish churches were very slow to take the gospel to all peoples,
therefore God sent persecution to force them out of Jerusalem and into the rest
of the world (Acts 8:1).
ii.
Then
Judeans and Samarians were saved (Acts 8:1-12; 9:31).
a. The
Samaritans’ salvation immediately raises the question, “Why the difference
between the order of events here and on the day of Pentecost?”
1. At
Pentecost the Jewish people:
i.
Repented.
ii.
Were baptized.
iii.
Received the Holy Spirit.
2. Here
the Samaritans:
i.
Believed.
ii.
Were baptized.
iii.
Had the apostles pray for them and
lay their hands on them.
iv.
Received the Holy Spirit.
b. Of
one thing we can be sure: they were all saved in the same way—by faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only Way of Salvation.
c. However,
during this transitional time, bridging Judaism and Christianity, God chose to
act sovereignly in connection with various communities of believers.
1. Jewish
believers were asked to dissociate themselves from the nation of Israel by
baptism before they received the Spirit.
2. Now
the Samaritans must have special prayer and the apostles’ hands laid on them.
But why?
d.
Perhaps the best answer is that it
was intended to give expression to fellowship between Jews and Samaritans “in
Christ.” There was a real danger that the church in Jerusalem might retain
ideas of Jewish superiority, and that they might continue to have no dealings
with their Samaritan brethren. To avoid the possibility of such prejudice, God
sent the apostles to lay their hands on the Samaritans. This expressed full
fellowship with them as believers in the Lord Jesus. They were all members of
the family of God, through the same Lord Jesus Christ.
iii.
Then
Gentiles in Judea, and throughout the Mediterranean world were saved (Acts 8:26-40; 10:43-48; 13:1-5).
a.
The
eunuch from Ethiopia was saved (Acts 8:35-38).
b.
Cornelius
with his family and friends in Caesarea were saved—these were Romans (Acts 10:43-48).
1. While
Peter was still preaching, “the Holy Ghost fell on” these Gentiles. They all spoke with tongues, praising God.
This was a sign (1Cor. 1:22; Jn. 2:18; 4:48; Matt. 12:38-39) to those present
that Cornelius and his household had indeed received the Holy Spirit.
i.
The Jewish-born visitors from Joppa were astonished to think that Gentiles could receive the Holy Spirit as such, without
becoming Jewish proselytes.
ii.
But Peter was not bound to the same extent by Jewish prejudices. He sensed
immediately that God was making no distinction between Jew and Gentile, so he
proposed that the household of Cornelius should be baptized.
2. Notice
the expression, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
These Gentiles had been saved in the same way as the Jews—simple faith. There
was no suggestion of law-keeping, circumcision, or any other ordinance or
ritual.
3. Notice,
too, the order of events in connection with the reception of the Holy Spirit by
the Gentiles:
i.
They heard the word, that is, they believed (v. 44).
ii.
They received the Holy Spirit (v. 44, 47).
iii.
They were baptized (v. 48).
4. This
is the order of events that prevails for Jew and Gentile alike in this
dispensation, when God is calling out of the nations a people for His Name.
c.
The
gospel went out to the then known world through Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:1-5).
4. Note
that the Spirit’s Indwelling served as a confirmation of salvation to other
believers.
i.
An
example of delayed indwelling with the Samaritans (Acts
8:1-25).
a.
Since
a deacon and evangelist preached the gospel to the Samaritans, it was needful
that the apostles witness what God had done (8:14-17).
b.
The
purpose of the Spirit’s delay to indwell these Samaritans was to confirm to the
apostles that the Samaritans were genuine converts.
c.
God
wanted to give salvation to Samaritans also.
ii.
An
example of immediate indwelling with the Gentiles (Acts
10:40-45).
a.
Since
an apostle preached this message, there was no delay regarding the Spirit’s
indwelling.
b.
God
confirmed to Peter and his companions that salvation was for the Gentiles also.
c.
Then
Peter had to explain his evangelistic campaign among the Gentiles to the church
in Jerusalem (Acts 11:1-18) and they finally
realized and accepted what God was doing!
iii.
What
about the disciples of Apollos in Ephesus (Acts 19:1-7)?
a.
Apollos
preached an incomplete message (Acts 18:25) “the
baptism of John” the Baptist which was still anticipating the Christ. These men seem only partially informed of
God’s way of salvation, the ministry of the Spirit, and faith in Jesus Christ.
1.
Paul
explained they needed to believe on Christ (Acts 19:4-5).
2.
Then
they were baptized before they received the Holy Spirit (19:5).
3.
Afterwards
they received the Spirit through the laying on of the hands of Paul (19:6).
b. When
the apostle Paul raised the question of baptism, he found out that these men
knew only about John’s baptism.
They knew Messiah was at hand, and they had signified their repentance by baptism as a necessary preparation for receiving Him as King. They
did not know that Christ had
died, had been buried, and had risen from the dead and ascended back to heaven,
and that He had sent the Holy Spirit. Paul
explained all this to them. He reminded them that when John baptized with the baptism
of repentance, he urged them to believe
on Christ Jesus (19:3, 4).
1. When
they heard this, they were baptized in
the name of the Lord Jesus (19:5). Throughout the Book of Acts the
emphasis is distinctly on the lordship of Jesus. Therefore, the disciples of
John here were baptized by the
authority of the Lord Jesus and
as a public acknowledgment that in their lives they accepted Jesus Christ as
Lord (Jehovah).
2. Paul then laid his hands on them,
and they received the Holy Spirit (19:6,
7). This is the fourth distinct time in Acts when the Holy Spirit was given. The first was in chapter 2, on the Day
of Pentecost, and involved the Jews primarily. The second was in Acts 8, when
the Spirit was given to the Samaritans through the laying on of the hands of
Peter and John. The third time was in Acts 10, at the household of the Gentile,
Cornelius, in Caesarea. We have previously pointed out that the order of events
leading up to the reception of the Holy
Spirit is different in each case.
3. Here
in Acts 19 the order is:
i.
Faith.
ii.
Re-baptism.
iii.
Laying on of the apostle’s hands.
iv.
Reception of the Holy Spirit.
c. By
giving the Holy Spirit to John’s
disciples through the laying on of Paul’s hands, the Lord forestalled the possibility of a charge being made
later that Paul was inferior to Peter, John, or the other apostles.
d. When
the disciples of John received the Holy
Spirit they spoke with tongues
and prophesied. Such supernatural powers were God’s method of working in
the days before the NT was given. Today we know that we receive the Holy Spirit at the time of
conversion, not by signs and wonders, or even by feelings, but by the testimony
of the NT Scriptures.
iv.
Note
that Paul was filled with the Spirit after his conversion (Acts 9:15-18).
a.
He
may or may not have received the Spirit at his conversion, but God sent Ananias
to minister to him and he was filled with the Spirit and healed of
blindness.
b.
This
was a confirmation to the church in Damascus (Acts
9:11-16, 19-22). Nobody would
have received Paul as a true believer without this confirmation experience.
5. What
is the normal pattern for today? (Acts 10:24-48)
i.
I
believe this is the pattern for today.
The gospel is preach, sinners repent and believe, the Spirit indwells
the new believers, and they follow the Lord in believer’s baptism.
a.
The moment a person believes on the
Lord Jesus Christ, he is indwelt by the Holy Spirit; he is sealed by the Holy
Spirit; he receives the earnest of the Spirit; he receives the anointing of the
Spirit; and he is baptized by the Spirit into the Body of Christ.
b.
However, this does not deny that in
a believer’s life there are subsequent crises of the Spirit. There is no
denying that the Holy Spirit often comes on individuals in a sovereign manner,
empowering them for special ministries, giving them great boldness in the
faith, and pouring out upon them a passion for souls.
ii.
Throughout
the NT Epistles it is universally assumed, yea even taken for granted, that all
believers are indwelt by the Spirit of God without exception.
iii.
We
are no longer transitioning from Judaism to Christianity. The Christian faith is well established today
and is afforded guidance through the written Word (NT).
Prayerfully some of the confusion related to when
Christians are indwelt by the Spirit of God has been removed. I realize some will read this article and
reject it because they know what happened to them. Others will refuse it
because they trust more what they have seen and what people they respect have
told them. Some folks are fully convinced what they experience or have
witnessed is from God and totally of God. I wish only to say to these that we
must measure every teaching by the Scriptures. We have an obligation to try the
spirits to determine if they are indeed of God. I am afraid God receives a
great deal of unwanted credit for things He has nothing to do with. We must not
permit our feelings, denominations, preferences, ideologies, or personal
philosophies take precedence over the written Word of God.
